Chapter 03
is the third chapter in Yuki Midorikawa's Natsume's Book of Friends. Summary Natsume's class is visited by another student asking where Natsume was while he was asleep at his desk. Nishimura woke him up, telling him that he had a visitor but the visitor left without meeting him. The day after at the Fujiwara's Natsume is visited by two youkai as Touko left to go shopping. The two youkai Chukyuu (A and B), asked if he could slay a human, who came to their homes, Yatsuhara (Eight Fields), but happens to be exorcising the youkai living there. But Natsume apologizes, as he cannot kill a human because it would lead to problems. After the youkai left, Natsume wondered about the exorcist believing that he should be able to see youkai. As Natsume leaves for school in the morning, the two youkai show up again. The two youkai accompany Natsume to his school and at school they praise him in different ways which annoys Natsume. While looking at the two youkai, Natsume notices a student looking at the same way as him and he felt uneasy. After school, the two youkai accompany Natsume again, and, unable to take it anymore, he decides to listen to their problems. The two youkai explain that they couldn't get close to the human because he always sends a wave of energy. Natsume wonders if the person has a grudge or if the person is bothered by youkai like him. While he was listening, a bunch of youkai attack Natsume, believing him to be the exorcist. Nyanko-sensei does nothing as Natsume is being attacked, because they are weak youkai. Angered, Natsume punches Nyanko-sensei, scaring the other youkai. At the same instance, Natsume hears something and the youkai are attacked by a purification wave which causes them to run away, but Nyanko-sensei manages to get Natsume and him away from it. Natsume decides that he wanted to help the youkai as the attack was one-sided and the youkai thank and praised him. The next day at school, Natsume notices a boy staring at him and notices that it was the same person who made him felt uneasy before, and learns that his name is Kaname Tanuma, the same guy who visited him previously, and that Tanuma had just moved near where the youkai lived. Natsume wonders if Tanuma is able to see youkai, and recalls meeting someone as a child who was able to see youkai only to learn that the person was in fact a youkai, who apologized as it only wanted to talk to him. As Natsume isn't able to talk to Tanuma, he hopes to find him the day after, but is interrupted by a drunken Nyanko-sensei who's brought a frog home. Natsume scolds Nyanko-sensei and lets the frog go. At school Natsume asks Kitamoto about Tanuma and believes that Tanuma may be the exorcist, after school the youkai are attacked again and Natsume is confronted by Misuzu, who wants his name back, but since Natsume is busy, Misuzu says he will help Natsume both because he holds Misuzu's name and because he saved his servant, the frog that Nyanko-sensei brought the other day. Chukyuu (A and B) tells the problem and Misuzu goes after the exorcist. Natsume realises that the exorcist may not be able to handle Misuzu and tries to go after the exorcist before Misuzu gets there. Natsume knocks down the exorcist and orders Misuzu to stop using his name. Natsume realises that the exorcist is not Tanuma but a monk. Natsume asks the two youkai what is exactly going on and they explain that the monk was purifying Yatsuhara and because he was powerful they thought that Natsume might have been able to get rid of him. Natsume learns that the monk can't even see youkai, and that he is purifying Yatsuhara for his son who can sense things which bothered him. Natsume explains to the monk that the youkai near Yatsuhara aren't bad so he should tone down with the purifying. The monk asks if Natsume is able to see youkai, but after a pause, tells Natsume that he doesn't need to answer that. Natsume learns that the monk's son is his classmate, Tanuma, making the monk Tanuma's father. Natsume tells his experience with the youkai whom he believed was human to Nyanko-sensei and adds that he understands that youkai and humans are not different as long as they have a heart. At school, Natsume finds Tanuma staring at the two youkai outside and asks him whether he could see them. Tanuma replies that he cannot but that he thinks he saw two weird shadows. Tanuma explains that he is able to sense things or see weird shadows. Tanuma wanted to talk to Natsume because of the rumours that Natsume is able to see youkai. Natsume reveals that he is indeed able to see them, but it’s a secret. Natsume thinks that, despite how troublesome youkai are, he doesn't mind helping them. Characters in Order of Appearance Trivia Navigation Category:Chapters